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Smithtown Momstownthought for the day Perhaps children are the happiest people on the planet because they have not learned what they cannot do. They have not been taught to fear and judge and hate, and they have no concept that they must justify their existence by hard work. Lord, please keep me ignorant, so I may remember my innocence and see the world as You created it. ~Alan Cohen
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Tips for Moms
Do you have any Tips you'd like to share with other Smithtown Moms? Email us and we'll post your tips! If you belong to AAA you can gets discounts at Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets located at Exit 16 Harriman off the NYS Thruway on Saturday, August 21st from 10 - 3. Just show your AAA card at the AAA tent. You will also be entered in to win hourly prizes. Just in time for school shopping |
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There are always kids who love to read, love to study, and find true fulfillment in school work and expanding their minds. And then you have the other 95% of children -- those who would rather be outside playing with friends, riding bikes or watching SpongeBob. If you are like me, you may have a child who fits the second parameter. How in the world do you help encourage your child? First, create a good study location for your child. Make it a friendly, welcoming and warm place, near you so that you can be available for guidance, support and redirection. Offer a snack, allow your child to get the wiggles out, and then have her sit down and start the work. Allow breaks every 15 minutes, and be available to help your child get back to studying. Be in contact with your child's teacher. Maybe she has some guidance as to subjects at which your child excels, and quite possibly, she has encountered a reluctant student in the past. Is it at all possible that your child has a learning disability? We discovered that one of my children has a processing disorder, that combined with dysgraphia and ADD, made learning a monumentally uphill struggle. With proper guidance and careful medication, the results astounded all of us. Is reading material the stumbling block for your child? Take your child with you to the bookstore and allow him to pick out his own preferred books. Don't underestimate the power of a cartoon book -- my own son loves to read the Calvin and Hobbes series as well as the Zits books, and he has become a phenomenal reader. Don't forget to let him see you enjoy reading! Talk about books that you have enjoyed and why you liked them, and encourage your child to share his favorite. Talk about an alternate ending. Pick a subject that appeals to your child -- rocks, lizards, dinosaurs, cars, ballet -- and do a weekend unit of study. Let your child see that research doesn't have to be a dry and inorganic matter of sitting at a desk and reading boring textbooks. Find ways to bring the subject matter to life. Don't forget field trips, hands on experimentation and even play acting. Show your reluctant student that learning doesn't begin and end at school but occurs all day long, year round. Finally, make homework a non-negotiable issue. Find the time that works best for your family, make a schedule and stick to it. A child with many after school activities may need to do homework after dinner, while a younger child may do best to complete homework right after school. Teenagers with jobs will need to learn time management and strategies for fitting their activities in without sacrificing their sleep. Above all, try to avoid making homework a power struggle. If you stay calm and in control, you might be very surprised at how much the battle decreases article from schoolfamily.com
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Coming up with fresh ideas for your child’s lunch box can be challenging. These simple dishes are nutritious, but still fun enough that kids will give them a try.by Patti Ghezzi
School lunch should be a healthy, energizing meal. But it also needs to be tasty enough that your child will eat it. Unfamiliar health foods might end up in the waste basket, but there are creative ways to combine nutrition with tastes kids will like. Start by taking some of your child’s favorite foods and giving them a healthy twist. Main DishesMexican meal: If your child loves going out for Mexican food, try a combination of baked corn chips, salsa, shredded low-fat cheese, and bean dip. Add some applesauce spiked with cinnamon for dessert. Dippers: Kids love to dip! Give your child several finger foods and two different sauces. For dippers, try baby carrots, rolled-up cold cuts, cubes of cheese, small meatballs, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and large black olives. For the sauces, include low-fat honey mustard and ranch dressings. You might want to include a fancy toothpick for older children. Pizza: Order an extra-large vegetable pizza with whole-wheat crust for dinner and save the leftovers. The next morning, wrap up a slice for each child’s lunch box. Mediterranean feast: Take a cue from one of the healthiest cuisines. Try an assortment of whole-wheat pita bread, hummus, olives, avocado, low-fat feta cheese, sliced cucumbers, and sliced peppers in assorted colors. Roll-ups: Instead of a traditional sandwich, try rolling your child’s favorite filling in a whole-grain tortilla. Here’s a quick idea: Spread a tortilla with peanut butter (or sunflower butter if your child’s school is peanut-free). In the middle, place a banana sliced lengthwise and roll. Include low-fat yogurt for dipping. Leftovers: Grownups eat leftovers for lunch, so why shouldn’t the kids? The spaghetti you had for dinner last night will taste great at room temperature. Turn chicken breasts into chicken sandwiches using whole-wheat hamburger buns. Side DishesApple fries: Instead of sending your child to school with a whole pear or apple, cut the fruit into strips about the size of french fries. To prevent browning, mix lemon juice and water in a spray bottle and spritz lightly. Homemade trail mix: In place of chips, make a small bag of trail mix tailored to your child’s tastes. Start with whole-grain cereal, and then add her favorite dried fruit and nuts. Turn the trail mix into dessert by throwing in a handful of chocolate chips or M&M’s. Popcorn with punch: Try air-popped popcorn tossed with parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, chili powder, curry powder, cumin, or all-purpose seasoning. For a junk food-type treat, toss popcorn with the powder from an old-fashioned box of macaroni and cheese. To get your seasoning to stick, mist popcorn with olive oil first. DessertsMuffin madness: Instead of a cupcake, try a muffin. You can find store-bought muffins that are high in fiber, protein, and other nutrients. Or you can make a big batch at home and freeze them. Make homemade muffins healthier by using half whole-wheat flour and adding fruit, such as berries or chopped apple. You can even sneak in shredded carrots and zucchini. Put a frozen muffin in your child’s lunch box, and it will be thawed and ready to eat by lunchtime. Yogurt slush: Take lowfat yogurt and stir in frozen fruit, such as blueberries, raspberries, and mango, which can be found in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. By the time your child eats lunch, the fruit will be partially defrosted, creating a cool, yummy treat. Fruit and cake: Angel food cake is a nonfat dessert choice. Cut a store-bought cake and some fresh fruit into bite-size pieces and let your child drizzle a little chocolate sauce on top. Chocolate-covered strawberries: They’re easier to make than you think. Just melt chocolate chips in the microwave and pour over plump, washed strawberries. Chill in the fridge overnight. The next day, they’ll be ready for the lunch box.article from schoolfamily.com
7th Grade Social Changes: What To Expect
The beginning of the teenage years is a confusing time for many adolescents—and for parents trying to understand their behavior.by Patti Ghezzi
To get an idea of the 7th grader’s mindset, take a look at his backpack, if you dare. Chances are it’s a disorganized mess of papers, books, headphones, and half-eaten bags of chips. “It’s all part of the 7th grade package,” says Susan Rakow, an assistant professor of education at Cleveland State University and a veteran 7th grade teacher. Grade 7 is a transitional time when kids are leaving their childhood behind and looking ahead to high school. Their lives are changing, their bodies are changing, and keeping their math homework in the correct folder just isn’t a priority. “Seventh-graders, particularly boys, face significant challenges in organization and motivation,” Rakow says. “It’s typical of adolescence. They’re asserting their uniqueness and facing new challenges.” Actions Have ConsequencesStudents in 7th grade often spend time and energy convincing their parents to go away, but in reality kids at this age need clear limits, meaningful consequences, and parental support. Instead, parents sometimes take a hands-off approach in hopes that their child will become more independent. For parents struggling with how much to hover during homework time, Rakow offers this advice: Let the first half of the first marking period go by without intervening unless she asks for help. Once you get initial feedback from the school, adjust the game plan accordingly. If her grades in math are terrible, Rakow suggests, you can say “I need to see your math homework every night before you put it in your backpack.” If that doesn’t happen, “then have consequences,” she says. “Real ones.” For example, you could take away your child’s video games until her grades come up or restrict access to television, the computer, or her cell phone. It’s important that parents make good on their threats of punishment. If you tell your 7th grader you’re going to ground her if you get another report saying she isn’t doing her homework, then you need to ground her. “Our lives are so busy, we don’t follow through on consequences,” Rakow says. “The kids find out we’re full of baloney.” Another shift that continues from 5th and 6th grades is the need for kids to gain approval from peers rather than adults. They are no longer motivated to do well in school because they want to please their teachers or their parents. They want to gain favor among their peers. Girls who have always been good at math may get the message that it’s cooler to be dumb in class than to be the student who always has the right answer. They are searching for meaning in their lives but often find school assignments void of meaning. “They question us and say ‘Why do I have to do this?’ and we say ‘Because you’ll need to know it later when you’re in the real world,’ ” Rakow says. Like so many parental retorts, that doesn’t cut it. “They live in an immediate, self-involved place,” she says. A 7th grader responds better to a reply such as “Because if you don’t learn it and your grade drops, you are going to be grounded every Saturday night for a month.” The hardest part about having a 7th grader is that their behavior can be confusing. One minute you’re talking about current events and your child seems like an adult; the next, he’s stomping away and throwing a temper tantrum, Rakow says. That’s why it’s so important for parents not to let discipline issues slide: “It goes from being a stage to being their behavior.” Time for ExplorationAnother issue parents face with their 7th grader is conflict over activities. Your child may want to play a sport as well as an instrument and remain active in a youth group, running her parents ragged. Or she may want to drop piano lessons in favor of soccer. “It’s a very exploratory time of life,” Rakow says. “In many cases, the child has a lot of interests.” Rakow recommends allowing your child to explore several activities if he wants to, knowing that by high school his interests will have narrowed. “If you really think they’re making a poor choice, you negotiate,” she says. For example, you may be able to convince your child to stick with piano lessons for one more year if you promise to let him drop the activity without a guilt trip if he still wants to at the end of that time. Even as your child is busy juggling more activities and subjects than ever before, he may have little to say. You ask how school was: “Fine.” You ask what he did: “Nothing.” “Too often, the parents give up and don’t pursue it,” Rakow says. She prefers a play-by-play approach: What did you do in first period? Second period? At lunch? Once your child tires of this interrogation, he might just open up and give you a few more details the first time you ask “How was school?” The 7th grader can test a parent’s patience, but the key is to not surrender. Once they learn it’s not OK to quit doing their homework, to stop working hard in school, to demand a cell phone only to never answer it when a parent calls, and to mumble one-word responses to their parents, they’ll realize it’s useless to push back. And then, don’t be surprised if out of nowhere you get a glimpse of the fantastic teenager your child is turning into. “When a child is well-parented in middle school,” Rakow says, “I find that they rise to the occasion.” article from schoolfamily.com
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Help prevent the spreading ot the MRSA virus by going to www.stopmrsanow.org for tips and information.MRSA is a germ that you can get from locker rooms, gymns, child care centers and schools.
Breakfast Most Important Meal for SchoolchildrenDon't let rushed morning schedules keep kids from starting the day with something nutritious.It takes a lot of energy to concentrate. So it's no surprise that kids who go to school without a good breakfast often feel run down. Studies show that breakfast does affect how well kids do in school. Still, morning schedules are often rushed. Why not stock up on nutritious foods that are quick to eat and easy to fix? That way, your kids can eat a healthy breakfast and still catch the bus. Keep fresh fruit on hand (kids can eat it on the way out the door). Even preschoolers can make toast with peanut butter; it's good and good for them. Or you can make muffins on the weekend and freeze them for weekday breakfasts. And there's no law that says kids have to eat breakfast food at breakfast. If they want a slice of chicken or a grilled cheese sandwich, let them go ahead. Copyright © 2010 Parent Institute | |
Tax Credit:
Homeowners can receive a tax credit up to 30% of the purchase price of qualifying energy efficient windows. Up to a maximum of $1500.00 if purchased and installed by December 31, 2010. To redemm the credit, be sure to save your invoice that shows a breakout of window and installation costs, The National Fenestration Rating Council(NFRC) labels from all windows and doors and the manufacturer's certificate. |
IMPORTANT ARTICLE ON DROWNING The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!” How did this captain know, from fifty feet away, what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life. The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this: - Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. Th e respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.
- Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
- Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
- Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.
- From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.
This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experience aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in there own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc. Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are n the water: - Head low in the water, mouth at water level
- Head tilted back with mouth open
- Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
- Eyes closed
- Hair over forehead or eyes
- Not using legs – Vertical
- Hyperventilating or gasping
- Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
- Trying to roll over on the back
- Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.
So if a crew member falls overboard and every looks O.K. – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why. If you have any questions at all – please post them in the gCaptain forums under“maritime safety” |
| HELPING YOUR CHILDREN DEAL WITH STRESS Tossing and turning all night. Knuckle-cracking. Overeating. Procrastinating. Exercising obsessively to relieve anxiety. Does this sound like you? Or is it your child? Kids today carry more stress than in the past, says Jerry Wilde, assistant professor of educational psychology at Indiana University East and author of several books on kids and stress management. “There are just so many more things today kids are involved in,” he says, citing social networking as an example. “The world is moving faster and is more nuanced and complex. Kids haven’t changed, but the world has.” When young children are overly stressed, they may show physical signs such as sleeping more, reverting to thumb-sucking, soiling their clothes, and developing a nervous tick such as coughing, fidgeting with hair, or rapidly blinking their eyes, according to Jim Grant, author of I Hate School! Other signs parents should look for include crying easily and frequently, needing constant praise and reassurance, and becoming shy and withdrawn, Grant writes. Older kids might show dramatic mood swings and heightened aggression and develop illnesses such as stomach problems and chronic headaches. What has children so worried? A falling-out with a best friend, a low grade on a test, a late start on a large project, a fear that their parents will get divorced. Some stress is real, such as a parent being diagnosed with a serious illness. Some anxiety may be petty drama blown out of proportion. Parents can help by talking to their kids, finding out what’s worrying them—knowing it may take some prying to get the truth—and helping children find solutions to eliminate or manage the stress. “We create our own stress,” Wilde says, noting that if 10 students get a B on a test, some will be thrilled while others will be devastated. “Stress comes from our own thoughts.” Parents can also help minimize their kids’ stress by encouraging them to maintain healthy habits, such as exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, and limiting caffeine. When kids are overwhelmed by major school projects, parents can help the work seem more manageable by breaking it into a series of smaller tasks. Wilde makes the following suggestions for parents wanting to help their kids de-stress: Make sure your child isn’t taking on too much. “Some kids have way too many activities,” he says. “They don’t have any down time, any time just to be kids. Kids need down time, just like adults.” Parents can help their child pick and choose the best activity to focus on, preferably one that relieves stress instead of contributing to it. Help your child put problems in perspective. One low grade on a test isn’t going to doom a child to a poor report card. It’s OK not to be good at everything. It’s normal to miss a spelling word even when you studied that exact word at home. It may be tempting for parents to chide their child over mistakes, but be aware of how your child takes criticism. “As long as your kid is putting forth a best effort, that’s all you can ask.” Use an imaginary time machine. It’s an exercise Wilde has used for years. He’ll ask a child who is stressed out about something like not being in with the cool crowd to imagine she’s moving 20 years ahead in a time machine. “Do you think you’ll be thinking about this party or whether this boy in middle school likes you?” Often, the child laughs, he says. It helps them realize they are putting too much importance on something that’s trivial in the larger picture. Remind him that there are things in life he can’t control. With divorce, kids need to be reminded it’s not their fault and it doesn’t change how their parents feel about them. Yes, life will be different. But he can still be happy. Get help. “If you are concerned enough to think you might need to seek professional advice, then seek professional advice,” Wilde says. A school counselor is a good place to start, and it’s often up to parents to start a dialogue. “School folks are highly trained, but often afraid to overstep bounds,” he says. Stress is a part of life, and all kids will experience anxiety at some point. By helping your child figure out strategies to cope with stress, you’ll equip him with a skill that will help him through the most difficult times in his life. Article from Schoolfamily.com
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Free Things you can get for your Birthday
Sephora:Lake Grove, Garden City, Huntington, Manhasset
Go to Sephora.com and join the beauty insder program for free.Stop in to the store two weeks before or after your birthday for a free beautiful eyes kit(includes eye shadow, liner and mascara)
You can also go to the following website and sign up for their programs to receive either free items or discount coupons:
Baskinrobbins.com
benihana.com/email
coldstonecreamery.com
famousdaves.com
moesnewyork.com
quiznos.com
redlobster.com
starbucks.com/rewards
thenuttyirishman.com
tgifridays.com
daveandbusters.com
hollywoodvideo.com | | |
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~ Where to Donate ~ | Smithtown Momstown Mom Kate Tokarski passed along this useful information for those who want to Go Green and at the same time help others in need. Contact the following agencies to Donate Used and/or Unwanted Items: Organization Contact Info | Items to Donate | Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
1-877-488-6273
www.ocrfpickup.org | clothing, shoes, books, glassware, toys, tools, rugs, dishes, knick-knacks, baby items, jewelry, sports equipment | Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
1-888-445-8787
www.lupus.org | clothing, shoes, bedding, draperies, curtains, housewares, glassware, jewelry, cosmetics, toys, games, knick-knacks, small appliances | St. Marys Episcopal Church Clothing Drive
631-582-6439
631-234-9776
clothingpickup@gmail.com | clothing, shoes, draperies, curtains, housewares, glassware, silverware, bedding | Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island
631-234-0000 | clothing, fashion accessories, shoes, bedding, draperies, curtains, house wares, glassware | Vietnam Veterans of America
631-582-0242
www.wepickup.org | clothing, kitchenware, small appliances, tvs, lamps, area rugs, bric-a-brac, small furniture, radios, toys, jewelry, dishes | Alzheimers Foundation of America
1-866-931-0232
www.wecashclothes.com | clothing, coats, shoes, sneakers, jackets, suits, dresses, handbags, stuffed animals | Long Island Charities Foundation
Suffolk County Police Athletic League
1-888-516-2274
www.wecashclothes.com | clothing, shoes, sneakers, handbags, linens, stuffed animals | | | Thanks Kate!! You rock! | |
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